BYU-IDAHODEPARTMENTOFMUSICPRESENTS

MARCH16,2017–7:30PMBARRUSCONCERTHALL

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bowandalight,softerupbow,meanttoemphasizetheinequalitiesofstrongandweakbeats.Bassocontinuoreferstothepreferredharmonicaccompanimentusedduringthebaroqueera.Fromaprintedbasslinewithafewharmoniccluesindicatedasnumerical“figures,”musiciansimprovisedchordalaccompanimentswhichbestfittheuniquequalitiesoftheirinstrumentsandsupportedtheuppersololines--similartothewayamodernjazzrhythmsectionwill“comp”behindavocalorsaxophonesolo.Thissinglebasslinemightincludeacolorfulvarietyofbothmelodicandchordplayinginstruments.Tonight’sbassocontinuosectionincludes:

• Harpsichord,featuringpluckedbrassstringsacrossalightwoodframe,resultinginadelicate,transparenttonewhichcontrastswiththestrongironframeandhammeredtoneofthemodernpiano

• Baroquestyleorgan,usingamechanical“tracker”mechanisminsteadofelectronicstorouteairtoeachpipe

Baroqueeraartandarchitecturefeaturedextremeornamentation,theillusionofenergeticmotionanddramaticcontrastsinlightanddark.Tonight’sconcertexploresthestriking,dramaticsideoftheinstrumentalbaroquefeaturingthedark,stormy,expressiveminormodeincludingseveralimportantcomposersrepresentingItalian,Germanic,FrenchandEnglishmusicalstyle:

• Havinghislifetragicallyshortenbytuberculosis,historystillrecognizesHenryPurcellasoneofthegreatEnglishborncomposers.HismusiccontainsFrenchandItalianinfluences,combinedinhisuniqueEnglishstyle.

• Althoughcomposingover80opera,VenetianThomasAlbinoniisbestknownforhisstringandoboeconcertos.Borntoawealthyfamily,hiscareerinmusicwasunusualinthatheneversoughtpermanentemployment,ratherwasfreetocompose,ashedesired.

• HeinrichIgnazFranzBiberrepresentedaleading17thcenturyAustrianviolinvirtuosoandcomposer,bestrememberedforhisincreasinguseofextremetechniquesinviolinmusic.Thedemandingleft-handandbowingrequirementsinhiscompositionswereveryadvanced.

• KnowchieflyforhismanyItalianoperas,NepaleseComposerAlessadroScarlatti’smusicwasanimportantlinkbetweenthelaterbaroqueandearlyclassicalstyle

• AsastudentofLully,GeorgMuffatintroducedthemusicalstyleofLouisthe14th’sCourttoAustria.Evenmoreimportantthanhisfinelycraftedmusic,Muffat’sdetailedwritingsonFrenchbaroqueperformanceserveasanindispensibleresourceforperformersofbaroquemusictoday.

• GeorgeFridericHändelisbestrememberedforhisdramaticworks,includingoperaandoratorio.HewasalsoagiftedorganistandinstrumentalcomposerwhosemusicreflectedhiscosmopolitanlifestylehavingworkedinGermany,ItalyandEngland.

PROGRAMOverturefromDidoandAeneas(1688)....................................................HenryPurcell

1659–1695SinfoniaVIfromSinfonieeConcertia5,Op.2......................................TomasoAlbinoni

I. Adagio 1671–1751...............................II. AllegroIII. GraveIV. Allegro

Battalia(1673)......................................................................HeinrichIgnazFranzBiber

I. Sonata 1644–1704II. Allegro:ThedissolutehordeofmusketeersIII. Presto IV. MarsV. PrestoVI. AriaVII. TheBattleVIII. Adagio:Lamentofthewoundedmusketeers

SinfoniainFMinor..........................................................................AlessandroScarlatti

I. Grave 1660–1725II. Allegro III. LargoIV. [Allemande]

SonataIIfromArmonicoTributo(1682)...................................................GeorgMuffat

I. Grave–Allegro 1653–1704...............................II. Grave–Forteeallegro–GraveIII. AriaIV. Grave–SarabandeV. GraveVI. Borea

RebeccaFagerston,SarahBagley,violin,AritaJustus,viola,TaylorRhodes,SebastianFraser,violoncello

ConcertoGrosso,Op.6No.10.....................................................GeorgeFridricHändel

I. Overture:[Adagio]–Allegro 1685–1759...............................II. AirIII. AllegroIV. AllegroV. Allegromoderato

RebeccaFagerston,SarahBagley,violin,TaylorRhodes,violoncello

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NOTESTheUniversityBaroqueEnsemble,initsfifteenthyearatBYU-Idaho,presents17thand18thcenturymusicwithanemphasisonappropriatestyleandperformancepractice.Inthelastseveraldecades,musicianshaveincreasinglyfocusedonhowmusicmayhavesoundedinitsowntimeperiod.Awealthofhistoricalinformationexistsontheperformanceconventionsofthetime.Fromthesewritingswediscoverstylisticconsiderationssuchasarticulationdifferencesofthebow;howun-indicateddynamicchangescouldbeapplied;embellishmentandornamentation;temposandthesparinguseofvibrato.Amoredirectwaytoapproachbaroquemusicisbyusinginstrumentspatternedafter17thand18thcenturyexamples.TheUniversityBaroqueEnsembleperformsonearlyinstrumentscraftedfrom18thcenturymodels.Whilevisuallyresemblingtheirmoderncounterparts,thestringinstrumentsofthetimeuseddifferentfittingsandbows,resultinginamuchlighterandmoretransparentsound.Plainsheepgutwasthepreferredmaterialforstringsuntiltheearly20thcentury.Gutstringsproduceasofter,sweeter,andmorecolorfulsound,comparedtomodernsteelstrings.Eventhoughmetalstringtechnologywasusedinharpsichordsandotherinstrumentsofthetime,violinistspreferredgutforitssoundquality,acceptingthenegativeeffectsoftemperatureandhumiditychangesontuningandstability–particularlyfeltinourdesertclimate.Baroqueinstrumentsuseaflatterneckandbridgeangleresultinginlessstringtension.Thisproducesagentler,moreresonantsound,whichreactsinareverberantperformancevenue.Youmayalsonoticeseveralobviousvisualdifferencesinbaroqueinstruments--thelackofendpinforcelloandthelackofchinandshoulderrestforviolinsandviolas.Ourensembleusesasetofbaroquebowspatternedafterexistinghistoricexamplesfromtheearly18thcentury.Thesebowsarelighter,shorter,andhaveaslightoutwardcurveresultingincharacteristicbaroquearticulation--astrong,quickdown

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PERSONNELDr.RobertTueller,Director

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ViolinIRebeccaFagerstenCristaGuthrieMatthewGardnerDavidTruscottViolinIISarahBagleyGretaHansenAndreGasparMissyMcKenna

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ViolaAritaJustusMarkShipleyVioloncelloTaylorRhodesSebastianFraserCharlottePetersen

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ContrabassNathanMayHarpsichord/OrganRobertBarthelTatianaHawksAndrewWoodruff